May 2017 Favorites

Every time June comes around I feel weird about it because it means I need to accept the fact that summer is here. I’m a cold weather person so I’m not really into it- I prefer to tan by foam rather than by pool, so I struggle to get excited about summer and higher temperatures. Thankfully I live in Oregon and I currently am writing this on a rainy day. Here are all the products I’ve been using to cope with the hotter season coming.

Beauty

Viva La Juicy Noir / I swear I’m not a 19 year old but I feel like it recommending this fragrance.  It is youthful enough to smell good but that “Noir” thrown in there makes it ok for a 25 year old like me to wear.

Bare Republic UV Hairspray & Powder / This is an ultra- unique product in my opinion and I had to mention it here. I bought the dry shampoo powder and 5-in-1 mist at Target to protect my hair color from fading. If you have ever had red in your hair, you know how it fades ultra quickly in the sun. I didn’t know products like this existed so I can’t wait to feel less worried about my hair fading while I’m playing out in the sun. The UV powder reminds me a bit of Bumble and Bumble Pret a Powder, which is my all time favorite dry shampoo. This one is cool because the powder pumps out! The spray is nice to give some shine to my dry hair and I like that it isn’t just for use on wet hair like most sprays I have. 

VS Summer Bombshell Perfume / I mentioned this in the What’s in My Bag post I did and raved about it there. I ordered this limited edition scent it without smelling it first and was not disappointed. I am going to need a backup before I completely go through it and it has become by everyday perfume. It smells clean and fresh yet has that classic Victoria’s Secret smell all wrapped into one. I don’t like the classic Bombshell but this one is AMAZING.

Kat Von D Shade + Light Eye Palette / This is such an easy palette to quickly throw some matte shadows on and go. You can get extra grungey or do a light eye look.

Nars Velvet Lip Glide / I have wanted this forever and finally splurged on the shade Stripped during the Sephora sale. I keep in my purse to throw on when my lip color is fading. It is so comfortable and the color is that perfect goes- with- anything- nude that I can wear with any makeup I have on or even none at all.

Bare Minerals Wink Gen Nude Liquid Lipstick / I rediscovered this in my collection after I started using the Nars Velvet Lip Glide. The formulas are different but they both have that quickly throw on and go appeal for me. This one is a pretty peachy nude. I use a darker lip liner with it to define my lips or it washes me out.

Essie Bikini So Teeny / Everytime I use this color it seems to stay put on my nails for like 15 days so by the time I do take it off I’m over it. I stash it away and forget about it, then I rediscover it every time I need a blue nail polish and fall back in love. All around a very pretty color that makes me happy everytime I wear it and the staying power is really great.

L’oreal True Match foundation / Every makeup girl or guy needs this. I can’t stress how reliable this foundation is for me and never fails to be a nice base. I use the shade W4 and really like the tone of it on me. It isn’t too matte or dewy- just right.

 

Mousse / Not sure why I stopped using mousse in my hair, but I’m back and never living without it. I’m not talking about scrunching damp hair into crunchy waves, but adding a handful of foam to my roots in wet hair then blow drying. It thickens and adds volume while it gives my hair grip and texture that isn’t sticky or weird.  It helps my blowouts last way longer and doesn’t feel as flat or limp as it usually does when I go mousse-less.

 

Colourpop Topaz Highlighter Bronzer duo by Alexis Ren / Finding affordable bronzers is one of my favorite hobbies and this is my go- to lately. The highlight is a tad too dark for me but it’s a nice gold inner corner eyeshadow for me.

Urban Decay Vice liquid lipstick in Rock Steady / I had to mention this because I wore it on Cinco De Mayo and it lasted ALL NIGHT. That is a hard task to accomplish for a red lipstick so I gotta give Urban Decay credit. The color is a deep red that is classic yet almost gives a pretty berry look at the same time.

Colourpop Shadows / Colourpop Super Shock shadows are a holy grail item for me. I use the rose golds, coppers, and golds in almost every dramatic glitter shadow look I do. I thought I would give them a little shoutout because they never let me down and are very affordable.

Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer / HELLO where have I been?? I have been using the “Brightener” pink shade of this product my entire life, but I finally got the shade light and absolutely love it. It is so creamy and beautiful under the eyes but you definitely need to set it with a powder to keep it there. Not like I don’t set every concealer anyway but yeah I can’t believe I hadn’t tried this color yet.

Mascara samples / I am a 1000% drugstore mascara person. I would rather splurge elsewhere in the makeup department when it comes to mascara, but the samples that Sephora sends with my orders are trying to sway me. I recently have been using Diorshow & Marc Jacobs O!Mega Lash and they are SO good. I swear it’s just the samples themselves though- they are always better than the full size! Is it the stubby wand that helps? Not sure but get yourself some mascara samples if you have the option… they’re free!

Orange Nails / Like a classic red nail but more fun, orange is the best nail color for summer in my opinion. I love neon versions like China Glaze’s Pool Party or Orange Knockout.

Sigma E40 Brush / I heard MakeupByMario uses this as a brush to highlight, so I tried it out. It is great to not get a huge streak on your face, but more of a precise and pigmented application.

MAC Yellow Radiance Primer / I had a sample of this in my makeup bag that I recently got around to trying and I LOVE IT. It feels like a creamy moisturizer but gives a nice sticky base for other products to grab onto. It is ultra lightweight and doesn’t stay yellow once you have it on. I loved it so much I picked up the full size from Nordstrom. MAC comes through with amazing products just when I feel like I’m over them!

Foundation Combo / Becca Evermatte + Makeup Forever HD Foundation stick is the most amazing foundation combination. On it’s own the MUFE stick doesn’t have amazing staying power and is quite glowy. For my oily skin I need some more power than that, and here’s where the Becca Evermatte fits perfectly. It is like scary- level matte and gives that stay to the MUFE stick but with a gorgeous finish. It is holy grail level for me.

Sephora Collection Lip Plump Gloss / If you like scary burning lip glosses, this one is for you. I just wish I had bought the nude shade because the translucent (pink tube) shows my lips getting really red which I’m not into. It’s great to apply while you are doing the rest of your makeup to get lips prepped for lipstick and is only $12!

Tarte + Brazilliance Plus / This self tan lotion came with the Sephora Sunkissed Glow Favorites collection and I wasn’t expecting much.  I decided to use it on my legs and it really impressed me. It comes out as a black- purple gel lotion and gives a beautiful olive tan to the legs. I would definitely purchase it again!

 

Non- Beauty

 

H&M Hooded Cardigan / I have been wanting a long sleeve simple grey sweater for too long, and I finally found it from H&M. They have been really surprising me lately with some good finds.  Remember those Juicy Couture terry cloth fabric jackets? I’m going to pretend like I didn’t spend a fortune on Juicy Couture back in 2009 ugh but the sweater is a mix of normal sweater material and terry. This makes it great for spring bipolar weather days because it is light. It has a hood and goes down past my butt- perfect for over jeans at work or leggings. If you search “hooded cardigan” there are some really cute ones that come up from Forever 21 too. AND IT HAS POCKETS.

 

Sorel Torpeda Sandals / I destroy sandals every summer so this year I went for a pair that wasn’t from Forever 21 in the hopes they will last. They are very Oregonian- chic so I get if they aren’t everyone’s taste but they’re great for my lifestyle. I like them with jeans, leggings, shorts, a maxi skirt, etc!

 

New rugs from Home Goods / I had a little spring cleaning session brought on by a little flea outbreak on my cat. Poor guy is allergic to them and was miserable, which made me miserable. He doesn’t go outside so we must have somehow brought them in on our clothes from nature or petting other people’s animals. Anyway I went HARDCORE cleaning anything in my apartment with fabric or carpeting and decided that it was time for some new bathroom rugs. Homegoods has super cute bohemian- style ones. I now have the flea situation under control and adorable new rugs that really freshened up the space. Getting new rugs is highly underrated!

 PSA- DO NOT buy or use the flea medicine products you can get from grocery stores. My family’s farm cats have been fine with them, so I thought it was ok. Nope- on my young indoor cat Prince the drops caused a bad reaction and I felt horrible subjecting him to that. He has always been healthy and let’s just say those drops caused hair loss and scabbing. I took him into the vet and he was prescribed Revolution which healed up the issue in a few days. Save your time and money and just go to the vet if your pets have fleas!

Amazon Tote Bag / Getting a new purse that is functional is so satisfying to me. This bag has perfectly fit my lifestyle and is humongous so in my mind it makes me look smaller.

Flowers / There is a flower farm that sells $6 tulip bouquets right by my boyfriend’s parents house. Each Sunday when we’re going out to dinner over there we grab a bunch and it makes the apartment much more sunny. Right now we have gorgeous pink peonies that make me smile just looking at them and I love supporting a neighbor by buying them from the stand!

Cabbage steaks recipe / If I could eat 24/7 without gaining weight I absolutely would. I am overweight currently/ suckily and am super happy when I find something that I can eat a TON of but not feel guilty about. Enter cabbage steaks. Get a head of cabbage and cut it into rounds as thick or thin as you’d like and place on a baking sheet. You can add anything you like- oils, balsamic, garlic, cheese whatever, on top and roast it in the oven. I pretend I’m eating garlic bread dipped in balsamic but without the calories.  Be cautious though- cabbage comes in the shape of a basketball and it’s really easy to start wrestling too much with the knife through it and cut off the tip of your thumb…. I was hungry and in pain when this happened to me last month lol. Half a cabbage is beyond filling and is my current go- to snack.

Katherine Garbarino / AKA @KGMTL on instagram, this girl has such awesome lifestyle, skincare, fitness, and supplement tips on her insta story everyday. She posts a ton so it’s basically a Youtube channel but without having to sit down and watch a video. Check her out!!

The Bachelorette / My favorite guilty pleasure show is back and I’m so happy about it. I like to pour myself a Lacroix Vodka and watch without commercials on Hulu Tuesday nights.

Camping / I hadn’t gone camping since college and rediscovered it this month.  Honestly one night is all I need- I went Friday for Memorial Day weekend and nothing beats getting dirty and reeking of campfire. The photo features my favorite game day/ camping essential- a chuggler.

 

Eek I hope that wasn’t too many! (It was.) Thanks for reading. 🙂

-Kim